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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · track · pitch · mouse · arm · pop · lean · scale

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pop — soda
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. scale — in music
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. swing — to play on
  15. scale — size or range
  16. swing — in golf
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. track — a path
  21. lean — to bend
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. swing — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com